De La Salle University recently visited the Faculty of Administrative Sciences, Universitas Indonesia (FIA UI) to discuss the implementation and application of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the campus environment. The integration of SDGs into campus initiatives aims to support sustainable development.

“Every year, UI receives scores and rankings based on all SDG-related activities and academic efforts conducted by the university, which contribute to global university rankings. UI submits the necessary data to THE (Times Higher Education) annually for evaluation. Currently, UI ranks 20th among 1,591 institutions worldwide,” said Assoc. Prof. Vishnu Juwono, S.E., M.I.A., Ph.D., a lecturer at FIA UI.

Maricel Fernandez-Carag, Ph.D., Chairperson of Governance and Public Affairs at Benilde School of Diplomacy and Governance, stated that De La Salle University has a mission to produce human resources dedicated to serving the nation. “The university is a higher education training center known for its academic excellence, productive and relevant research, and engaged community service,” said Maricel.

Prof. Dr. Teguh Kurniawan, M.Sc., Chair of the Master’s Program in Public Policy and Governance (MKPG) at FIA UI, warmly welcomed the representatives of De La Salle University. In his remarks, Prof. Teguh introduced the MKPG program, which FIA UI launched in 2023.

“MKPG aims to produce graduates with competencies in public policy analysis and governance in the public sector. The program equips students with a multidisciplinary and practical perspective using a research-based learning approach,” explained Prof. Teguh.

Maricel highlighted that De La Salle University is located in the heart of Manila and serves as a home for both local and international students seeking quality education for a brighter future. She also emphasized the university’s cultural diversity, which makes it a dynamic and inclusive campus.

Dr. phil. Reza Fathurrahman, MPP., Secretary of the FIA UI Graduate Program, noted that UI’s overall performance score is 94.4 out of 100, with the university focusing on various SDGs, including No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Good Health and Wellbeing, Quality Education, Gender Equality, Clean Water and Sanitation, Affordable and Clean Energy, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, Reduced Inequalities, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Responsible Consumption and Production, Climate Action, Life Below Water, Life on Land, Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, and Partnerships for the Goals.

“The 17 SDG values are implemented at UI and assessed annually by THE, determining UI’s ranking each year. The top three SDGs for UI in 2023 are No Poverty, Zero Hunger, and Good Health and Wellbeing,” said M. Imam Alfie Syarien, S.Sos., MPA., Secretary of the Department of Public Administration at FIA UI.

Prof. Vishnu explained that UI maintains its SDG ranking by continuously monitoring and evaluating its initiatives. FIA UI has dedicated human resources specifically assigned to SDG implementation, ensuring that data required for the ranking process is accurately tracked and reported.

Catherine Samaniego, a representative from De La Salle University, shared various programs and initiatives undertaken by the university to promote SDGs on campus. These include projects to combat plastic pollution, the development of permeable reactive barriers, geopolymers research, smart structural health monitoring, machine learning for analyzing PISA data, and a systems mapping approach to explore workplace health issues.

The meeting took place on Monday, August 28, 2023, in the Smartclass Room, 3rd Floor, FIA UI Building M.